Autumn/Winter Pic`s

[Monty]

What about getting u`r M100 out to get some winter pic`s, here`s my 1st attempt. Got a little snow here today (not much) so went for a spin

[F1 LOTUS]

Nice pictures Monty, looks like Rishworth W.Yorks?

[Dico]

Yep, tis. Scamenden dam i believe in the bottom pic.

[F1 LOTUS]

Thought as much...buzzed it a few times in a Microlight playing 'Dambusters'

[cjay]

Great pics Monty

I have been looking at them and thinking cool thoughts... about 36C here at the moment It's too bloody hot to drive with the roof down Bit worried the Elan will melt if i leave it out

Post more snow pics

cjay

[Costas]

Sh4rks winter pics, before the major upgrades.

[Monty]

Pinky in Blackpool

There was even a frost on the sea front

[Dico]

Could do with a wash cock.

I've always found Blackpool to be a touch tacky.













rather like yer stripes!

[Enright]

Here are a couple of pics of mine on the way to my folks' in Skegness on Christmas Day:

[Sy V]

Ooh, not good.

How are you and what's the damage Neil?

[Monty]

holly Shite

Now thats scarey

Hope u`r ok

[Enright]

I'm fine thanks Sy & Monty (other than a dented ego and wallet), and the damage is astonishingly little, considering.

The only broken component was the number-plate.
Front bumper was slightly dislodged, with a gap opening up between it and the clamshell, and it was pushed up under the nearside wheelarch by about an inch. I'll investigate further when the weather improves.
There are a couple of scratches in the hood, but no tears.
I'm suspicious that the chargecooler may be slightly bent, but it's not holed.
Most significantly, the first person on the scene was a local gamekeeper, who fetched a set of hedge clippers the size of bolt croppers! With these I was able to cut back all of the potentially lethal branches and get the car towed out nose first. Because of this there was absolutely NO paintwork damage at all!

[Monty]

NO paintwork damage at all!

Thats unbelievable

So what happened? or should we start a new topic "The reasons why we write off our M100`s"

[rod]

NO paintwork damage at all!

Pretty sure due to the number of layers of polish Neil and I have put on the car over the years

[Enright]

Thats unbelievable

Yes I know, I couldn't believe it either! Can you imagine the thoughts that were going through my mind as I sat there surrounded by branches before having to climb out of the window?!?
Rod seems to think that it's a testament to the amount of polish that was on it. Possibly coupled with the amount of grime that it had picked up on the journey, and that the branches weren't as tough as they would be during the growing season (not sure about that last bit).

So what happened?

I had been suspicious that the suspension bushes or ball-joints were wearing, and had let myself be talked out of it in favour of iffy tyre pressures or tyres not getting up to temperature in the cold weather.
But there is some definite wear on the inside edge of my front offside tyre.
Anyway, it seemed to have been behaving itself during the journey, so I took a detour down one of my fave roads - the B1183 from Horncastle to Revesby. I went into a fairly quick left-hander on a country road in somewhat greasy conditions, and the car suddenly seemed to drift and understeer.
I thought I'd corrected it, but then it seemed to go all wierd and went into an oversteer. I overcorrected about twice, but by that time I was going sideways so I just gave up and sat on the brakes, hoping it would stop before running out of road.
Nope. I ran out of road, glided across the grass, into the bushes and finally down the ditch!

Ultimately I know it was my fault - either through not picking up the problem early enough and correcting it, or just going too fast for the conditions. But I know that the Elan should have handled that corner at that speed with no dramas. So now (or at least when the weather improves), I've got to get under there and find out what went wrong, and how much it will cost to fix it.

[F1 LOTUS]

Ultimately I know it was my fault - either through not picking up the problem early enough and correcting it, or just going too fast for the conditions. But I know that the Elan should have handled that corner at that speed with no dramas. So now (or at least when the weather improves), I've got to get under there and find out what went wrong, and how much it will cost to fix it.

Hopefully the damage is as light as first appears

I must confess that I never felt that confident in the Elan in cold / damp conditions, where its ability seems to be below that of most 'normal' cars, in total contrast to the extraordinary dry performance? Maybe others need to look at lowering tyre pressures for winter driving?

[Doug]

this is an ominous picture for sure



glad you AND your cat are okay!

'tis the season for Elan smackery . . .

[rod]

Maybe others need to look at lowering tyre pressures for winter driving?

[F1 LOTUS]

Maybe others need to look at lowering tyre pressures for winter driving?

I'm only guessing Rodders, thinking (or not ) of getting a bit more heat into the tyres How did you feel about the Elan in winter?

[rod]

Hmm, I tend to increase (cold) tyre pressures when its a wet/cold track day. Not saying thats correct, just what works for me.

Elan is very critical to tyre choice, I would 100% stand by the fact that the Mich MXXV2's were the best thing for the origional S1 car by a fair margin. I tried "Rain Tyres" in the winter, but they were a waste of time, only really any better in standing water.

Best thing for the winter in the UK is to tuck the car away in the garage, as the salt and dirt really are not nice for the paintwork or the metal bits.

Shame GM would not stretch to galvanise the main backbone chasis